Challenge Log- Possessed
by Nightlings of NightClan
Summary: This challenge prompt asked our writers to depict a cat who had been, like the title says, possessed by a dark forest cat. Then, we left the rest up to them. So, where do our forum's talented authors really take this challenge?
1. Aqua's

**'NEW' Challenges - One - Possessed**

[575 word count, on Word Counter]

Dewfrost blinked open her eyes in the crisp morning light. The air around her was cold, and her glittering dark blue pelt was covered in ice crystals. She pawed the ground when she realized Buglight, and herself were the only ones inside the warriors den.

Her brown eyes shifted to Buglight. Something about the newly made warrior, made her suspicious. She's seen him train sometimes, and it looked unnatural. Like someone else was controlling his every movement. His dusky brown ear twitched, as he twisted and turned, getting a turn of brown fur in his nest.

 _Dear StarClan..._ Dewfrost sighed as she stepped out into the FireClan camp walls. She sniffed the air, and spotted the leader resting on high tree. The deputy was with Smokestar, and there were warriors mingling around the fresh kill pile. She sat outside the warriors den, licking her blue and silver striped pelt when Buglight padded out, looking more tired them ever.

He twisted his brown pelt, "Hello Dewfrost."

It looked like he was straining something. His paws took him to the middle of camp. Then he stopped.

Turning his head, Dewfrost didn't like the deadly glitter in the cat's strange yellow and red eyes. His pupils narrowed, and before she could even see, or shout, Buglight was running at her.

She wasn't sure what to do at the moment. Buglight was a clanmate, and in FireClan, all clanmates were well treated in FireClan. They were all family, and Smokestar protected them. He loved every single one of them.

Buglight jumped at Dewfrost, her frozen form standing outside the warriors den. No one saw the attack, but once he lunged, half the clan was looking at them. The kits were in bed, and the apprentices were just about the wake up.

Buglight swiped his claws at Dewfrost, claws out, eyes bloodthirsty, and smacked her in the face. She blinked at Buglight, who proceeded to hiss at her.

"Who are you! You're- you're not Buglight!" Dewfrost yowled, when her mentor, when she was an apprentice, came down and stood by her side. Dewfrost hissed, at the cat who'd taken Buglight over.

His ears twitched, "You banished me, and now you do not remember?!" The cat arced his back, and hissed at them, obviously trying to make a big scene. "My name you scorn, I am Darkflight!"

The sudden outburst from the exile got the leader's attention now. Smokestar bounded down, his ash colored pelt blending in with the rocky camp walls, and dirt that let herbs and other plants grow in camp. The dawn patrol had just got back, using the smooth rock-padded path to enter camp- at the worst possible time.

"You are exiled Darkflight. Leave our warriors alone!" Smokestar shouted, his amber eyes blazing.

The cat known as Darkflight hissed, "You will never have this cat. I will forever haunt you Smoketail."

Then, after Darkflight called Smokestar by his warrior name, he released control on Buglight, for a bit. Until he mustered up enough energy to return.

This happened for a while now.

Darkflight would take over Buglight, and it happened more and more often. Once, Buglight realized this, he asked to be exiled. Smokestar had pondered his suggestion, but Buglight told him it was for the better of the clan. Soon, Smokestar agreed, and Buglight and Darkflight left.

But not for good. True to his word, Darkflight found another way to haunt Smokestar. Until his last breath.


	2. Dusky's

My clan was weak, and getting weaker. I was one of the lucky ones, one of the few who weren't infected. No one has died, not yet. But everyone who has been touched by the evil claw of disease is almost to weak to move. The healthy ones must hunt for the others. The symptoms started in a kit. Shaking uncontrollably, and then collapsing. You would be weak for a few moons, and then it was over. No one has gotten it twice, but we are still very weak. An attack would finish us, with almost no one to defend the camp. We would be forgotten. Nothing but a memory. I was hunting for my clan, And I felt a dark presence beside me, almost breathing on my throat. Then I collapsed. I knew I wasn't alone in my body. _Who are you?_ I thought. _I am your worst nightmare. I am a warrior of the Dark Forest, The Place Of No Stars, The Land of Endless Night._ Said a dark, cold voice. _Why are you here?_ I asked. _To become the rightful leader of your clan, of course._ The dark cat mewed. _You sent the sickness!_ I gasped. _Yes,_ the cat said, I _have chosen the strangest fighter to be my host, so that I could kill and cat that will get in my way!_ I couldn't let that happen. I was possessed, but I still had some control over my body. _Bend to my will, and you will lead your clan and never die!_ The cat tried to persuade me to join it. I wouldn't listen. I had to keep fighting. I stood up, my body resisting my every move, trying to pull me back. I eventually managed to start running. _You are a fool_ , the cat said, _I know where your camp is, you cannot get lost. You will fail. Your leader must pay for what they have done to me! I will have my revenge one way or another!_ I wondered what that meant, but I didn't have time to ponder the remark. I ran until I was far out of the territory. _Where are you going? I have revenge to seek! They must pay!_ The Dark Cat was going completely crazy. I was getting a headache, but I couldn't afford it. The evil cat started gaining control, forcing me back the way I came. I wasn't running. My body couldn't handle the strain. My muscles were throbbing, and I felt like I was being clawed. I had to buy time until I could figure out what to do. How do I get this cat out of my head, but make sure that it cannot come back? I knew there was only one option. Using the last of my strength, I broke the possession, just for a moment. I lifted a shaking paw, extended my claw, and pushed hard against my throat. I felt blood, and I tore my own neck. _Are you mad! You can't do this! My revenge! No!_ And with that, the cat was gone. I had saved my clan, but killed myself in the process. Then I saw my sister, who was hit by a monster soon after we had gotten our warrior names. She guided me to StarClan, where I would watch my clan, and when they were healed, I would tell them my story.


	3. Pyro's

"Am I just not good enough?" Sharppaw muttered, walking through the forest. The moon was high in the sky, the light it cast making Sharppaw's grey pelt appear silver.

"What does he have that I don't?" he continued, blindly walking through the territories.

 _"You know, I could help."_

Sharppaw jumped at the voice.

"Wh-Who's there?!"

He heard a sick giggle that made his pelt stand on end.

Slowly, but surely, a being began to materialize in front of him. Black, with dark blue eyes. There was a single tuft of white fur on his chest. An air of pride seemed to radiate from him.

 _"Hello, Sharppaw..."_ The tom smiled. The smirk was lopsided, and the air seemed to get colder as he did so.

"H-How do you know my name?!"

He laughed again - that sick, sick giggle - before speaking.

 _"Oh, Sharppaw... I know lots of things."_

Sharppaw took a step back.

"A-Are you from StarClan?"

The tom seemed to like this question.

 _"Well... Yes, I suppose you can say that. Sharppaw, you seem to be having problems with this one tom? What, exactly, is his name?"_

"... Crowpaw. That's his name."

The tom's face lit up.

 _"Aha! I see, I see! Well, how about this? I'll help you with Crowpaw. No charges at all!"_

Sharppaw blinked.

"Wh-What?! Really?!" His face lit up.

The tom nodded.

 _"Why, of course! Anything for you, Sharppaw!"_

"Thank you... Uh, what is your name, anyways?"

The tom paused.

 _"Ah... Well, what is it again..?"_ After a moment of thought, he smiled again. _"Oh! I'm Shadeflame!"_

"Shadeflame, huh..." Sharppaw smiled. "Then, thank you, Shadeflame!"

 _"Nonono... Really, thank you!"_

Then, everything went black.

* * *

His head hurt. Actually, everything hurt.

The first thing he saw was red. A dark, deep crimson. It coated his paws, the ground around him. He wasn't very sure where it was coming from, until he saw it.

Crowpaw lay in front of him, the dark grey tom shivering intensely. He seemed to still be alive, at the very least. A large, deep gash cut into his side, along with many scratches that marred his face.

Gingerly, he stepped forward. Crowpaw flinched.

"C-Crowpaw..?" he said quietly. "Wh... What did... He do?"

Crowpaw curled up.

"Who's... Who's he..?"

He looked down at his paws.

"The... The one who did this..."

"I.. It was... You..."

He paled.

"But... I... I would never..."

Crowpaw seemed to look through him.

"No... Not... Not you... Him..."

He seemed to understand, and he gently pressed his nose against his stomach.

"C... Can't you save me, Sharp... Sh-Sharppaw..?"

He tried to tell him, 'I'm sorry' when everything became black again.

* * *

"You did very good, Shadeflame," the tom said, grinning. The dark russet tom laughed as said cat appeared next to him.

"Oh, did I, Flamestar?" His praise seemed to delight him.

He nodded, dark green eyes shining with power.

"Yes. Now, you did make a contract with him, didn't you?"

Shadeflame nodded.

"Yes, Flamestar! He'll be arriving here shortly."

Flamestar dismissed him with a nod of his head.

"Very well. You are dismissed."


	4. Shira's

_**Possesed**_

 _Clan of Darkness Challenge #3_

"Grassflower! Grassflower!"

I held my head high, basking in the sweet music of my Clanmates' voices cheering my name. My _warrior_ name.

No longer was I Grasskit, the tiny, mute kitten who was forever scarred by witnessing the brutal deaths of both her parents during a vicious ShadowClan raid in the middle of the night. I was now a proud, confident warrior of RiverClan, ready to do whatever it took to make the clan my parents loved great.

I looked to the evening sky, the first stars of Silverpelt beginning to emerge.

 _Echobreeze? Sharpthorn? Are you watching me? I haven't forgotten you, I promise. You_ will _be avenged_.

"Grassflower, it is now time for you to sit vigil. Once dawn arrives you will begin your duties as a warrior." Crowstar, our leader announced.

I nodded solemnly, padding towards the front of the camp to the spot I would stand watch, dipping my head to cats who stopped to congratulate me. I was planning to be as serious as possible on one of the most important nights of my life.

"Grassflower!" I turned at the sound of a familiar meow calling my new name. I turned to see the familiar silver tabby pelt of my old mentor, Stormclaw.

"I am so proud of you." the old tom's voice was choked up as he licked my forehead. I shrunk back in surprise at the usually gruff silver warrior's affectionate demeanor. "Oh, don't mind me! I always get like this when any apprentice of mine becomes a warrior. It's just bittersweet for me now since you're my last."

Stormclaw's old eyes flashed with remorse. I guess the rumors I had heard about his retirement were true.

I touched my nose to his affectionately, just as I had at my apprentice ceremony moons ago.

 _I couldn't have done it without my mentors!_ I thought to myself. Yes, Stormclaw had been a major part of my training, but there was someone else who I had to thank for my battle skills. Someone special.

The tabby tom blinked warmly at me, nudging me towards the entrance. "Alright, off with you now! Camp can't guard itself!"

I blinked my gratitude at him and turned and padded towards the camp entrance, settling down as trying to make myself as comfortable as I could for the night.

A cold breeze ruffled my pelt, and I fluffed up my fur to remain warm. The past leafbare had been a brutal one, and although newleaf had arrived officially, the warm weather it promised to bring had not yet appeared.

Night fell, the dark earth completely black, outlined in the pale light of the unusually orange three-quarter moon that hung in the sky. I remained alert, ears pricked and eyes widened to sense any signs of danger.

I stiffened as the aroma of cat-scent hit my scent glands, only relaxing when I recognized the familiar musky odor.

I felt an ethereal pelt brush up against my own, and the fur on my spine prickled as a harsh, rasping voice purred in my ear, "Hello, Grass _paw._ "

I flattered my ears, bowing my head in respect as the familiar small black and white figure of the cat who had been walking in my dreams since before I was apprenticed appeared in front of me.

"Oh, come now," the shadowy she-cat's voice dripped false sweetness. "I'm sure your precious vigil can spare a moment of silence so you could acknowledge your _real_ mentor, the one you've been ignoring, hmm?" She ended her sentence with just the slightest hint of a snarl, any honeyed sweetness vanished.

I flinched, breaking my silence to mew hastily, "I'm sorry, Littleflame. I didn't mean to skip training, I swear I was planning to go to sleep as soon as my vigil was over and come visit you."

Littleflame's unusual violet eyes narrowed dangerously.

I quickly added, "Besides, I'm out here protecting my clan. Aren't you always telling me how important it is for me to keep RiverClan safe from any threats? Oh, and my new name is Grassflower."

"Slacking off on your training makes you soft and unable to defend your clan to your fullest ability, Grasspaw." Littleflame reminded me. "And as long as you are _my_ apprentice, I will address you as one."

I held my tongue. "Yes, Littleflame. I understand."

Littleflame eyed me sternly, mauve eyes glittering. "You do understand I didn't have to take you under my wing the way I did, don't you? I could have let you cry by your parents' corpses that night and watch you waste away into nothing. But I didn't. I trained you, made you the fighter you are."

I straightened up, pushing back the painful memories of my parents lying dead in front of me. "Of course, Littleflame. I am forever grateful to be mentored by such a noble StarClan warrior like yourself."

Littleflame's whiskers twitched, as if something I had said amused her. She muttered something under her breath I couldn't quite make out, but sounded something like, "StarClan, right."

All of a sudden, Littleflame's expression grew eager. "However, I am not one to withhold praise when it is due, and there is no denying you have worked hard these past moons. I am prepared to give you what you want most."

I stared at my ghostly mentor. "What?"

Littleflame rolled her plum colored eyes. " _Revenge_ , you fool! Remember my promise to you the night of your parents' deaths? I promised I would help you avenge their deaths! Don't you want to make those ShadowClan mangepelts _pay?_ "

I felt the dark, simmering anger that had never left the pit of my stomach begin to grow, buolding into a steady blaze. Yes, yes I did want to make ShadowClan pay for what they had done. They had attacked an innocent queen and her mate in their horrible raid. That was against the code, and for that they needed to pay. Maybe after this, I could actually walk the border without feeling that sense of failure for not being able to protect Echobreeze and Sharpthorn.

I stared evenly at the black and white she-cat. "Alright." I growled. What do I need to do?"

Littleflame's expression grew victorious. "Oh, _you_ won't have to do anything!" she hissed, coming so we were nose to nose. "Just leave it to me, my dear, and everything will fall into place."

Confused, I opened my mouth to ask what she meant, when Littleflame leaned forward and touched her nose to my forehead.

There was a quick burning sensation, and I suddenly saw black. I felt the oddest sensation as if I was being swept away by some invisible wave, and was now floating in an imaginary body of water. Then, as quickly as it had vanished, my sight returned.

I looked around and let out a startled cry. I wasn't imagining floating, I was actually hovering in midair, right above the spot where I had been standing before. I let out another yelp when I realized I could see the ground _through_ my paws. I was transparent.

"Oh, relax. It's only temporary." I looked toward the source of the scornful meow and came face to face with ME.

Well, someone exactly like me. Same light brown tabby pelt, same face curled into a disdainful expression. Then I noticed the difference. My eyes, normally a deep holly green, were now a bright purple. A very unique purple that only could belong to one cat.

I hardly believed it, but, "L-Littleflame?"

The spirit inside my body laughed. "In the flesh. _Your_ flesh, actually, but you know what I mean."

As I tried to wrap my head around how she had managed to kick me out of my own body and take my place, Littleflame flicked her-my- _our?_ tail dismissively. "Don't worry, I'll give it back. I just need it to do what I have to do." She stretched, arching her back. "It is nice to have a mortal body again though."

All I could do was nod blankly with my mouth open.

Littleflame nodded back plainly, as if that was the end of discussion. "Well, let's be off."

She took off at a sprint. I gave a startled yelp as some invisible force caused me to float along after her, gasping even more loudly as I was pulled through the reed barrier. Literally through it, like I was no more than air.

"As of now, you're just a spirit." Littleflame called behind her, still running. "I'm the only one who can see you."

"What about you?" I asked, too concerned with my current physical state to pay much notice to Littleflame crossing the border with ShadowClan like it wasn't even there.

"Oh, people will see me, but they'll think it's you." Littleflame replied as she slowed down to a stealthy prowl, creeping through the pine forest like a natural.

We were both quiet as she reached the ShadowClan camp.

She circled the barrier, carefully avoiding the night guard, until we reached the back of the barrier.

"What are you going to do?" I asked her. I was nervous. Were StarClan cats allowed to do this?

"An eye for an eye, my dear," she whispered. "Stay here." She slipped through a hole in the barrier, and to my dismay I found I couldn't follow her.

I waited for what felt like nine lifetimes before my possessed body slipped back out, deathly silent.

"What did you do?" I hissed. I hadn't heard any noise, no yowls of alarm or warning, nothing, but surrounding Littleflame completely was the unmistakable reek of blood.

"I told you, I took an eye for an eye." Littleflame informed me, trotting back in the direction she came. This time I found I was pulled after her again.

"But what does that _mean?_ " I persisted as we crossed back into RiverClan, watching her pause to wash off in the stream, confirming my suspicions something bad had happened.

"It means you'll see." Littleflame growled as we returned to the camp. I was confused as she walked back into camp, and I used what little ability to move I had to move in front of her.

"Now what are you doing?"

Littleflame's unusual eyes glittered. "Well, a bunch of murdered kits will only do so much, right? No guaranteed war."

Horror courses through me. "What?! You _murdered their kits?_ "

Littleflame have a cruel laugh. "I told you, an eye for an eye. They murdered your parents and countless others. Now they can suffer the loss of needless death."

"But they're kits!" I spat. "How could you do that?"

"I didn't. _You_ did. Your claws spilled the blood of kits and queens. I knew you'd be too weak to do it yourself, so I helped you out. You're welcome." Littleflame licked a paw nonchalantly.

I was beside myself. "You- you- but you're a _StarClan_ cat!"

"No, I'm not. I let you think that, but I am most certainly not one of those soft-bellied fools." Littleflame told me simply.

"Then where-?"

"Never you mind, darling. Now, I don't have all night, so I'll make this quick. ShadowClan will awake, and attack RiverClan, but there's a possibility RiverClan might try to use _reason_." Littleflame wrinkled her nose as if she smelled something foul. "The only way to make sure blood is spilled is to get RiverClan just as mad. Now, killing your kits would work, but I think we need to go bigger. Your leader, yes, he'll do just fine."

I snarled at her, the consequences of my foolishness weighing me down. "I won't let you." I spat. "As soon as I get my body back, I'll go right to ShadowClan and give myself up."

Littleflame cocked her head. "But you can't, dear. You're dead."

"Wha-NO!" I let out a scream as Littleflame drew my body's claws and slit it's own neck. Blood pooled out of my body's throat as it crumpled to the ground. I tried to remain floating, but a warm, fuzzy wave of blackness washed over me, and I felt a pain in my throat.

Right before I lost consciousness, I heard a voice in my ear.

"Poor little Grasspaw. You'll thank me for this soon, just you wait."


	5. Splash's

**Possessed:**

Ravenfoot's dreams were full of blackness tonight. An empty void of dreams, he merely fell endless down, down, down into the deep ebony black. He saw nothing but shadows, nothing but darkness. He felt weightless, floating like a cloud, yet falling all the same. Down, down, down, so deep. So deep. Everything was silent the first moment; the next, he heard an enveloping, terrifying scream, high-pitched, stabbing his heart and shattering it like ice. A cat was in pain, here in this empty dream world, with nothing in it but blackness. Was there an end? Had this cat fallen onto the cold, hard ground, breaking and splintering like a stick? His heart burst into a million bloody pieces, full of worry and wonder and grief. What was up? What was happening? He had to know!

His eyes shot open, sleep-crusted yet more awake and alert then ever before. Black fur bristling, Ravenfoot still felt that empty hole in his chest where his heart had splattered, that eerie, lonely, painful wail still splitting him in half. _No. Nothing bad has happened. Calm down._ His heart pounded, and the world spun and shook, the dizzy Ravenfoot closing his eyes in a feeble attempt to make it all stop, to make it all end. Dread filled him, no matter how many times he told himself everything was alright. The feeling that something bad, something terrible, had happened stormed him, taking over, turning the fluffy white clouds of his good thoughts and feelings into the darkest ebony black clouds, ready to rain and shower and sweep away all light-hearted emotions he emitted, until he was a dull as the storm clouds.

"Thanks for this wonderful opportunity," A voice hissed. It sounded like the one that had screamed in his dream, but the voice was lower, calmer, deeper this time. "I think I'll stay for a nice, long time."

Rocketing to his feet, Ravenfoot forced his eyes open and stared around, searching for the source of the voice. His ears swiveled, trying to find merely a direction, but he could pick up nothing. No strange cat smell filled the den, and no movement, could be seen, either. He shook, eyes narrowing as he tried to repel his fear. _Everything's alright, Ravenfoot. Everything is fine!_

The voice laughed. "Ha, ha, ha! Fine, you say? Goldentail was right. Clan cats are dumb these days. Don't you realize what happened?"

Ravenfoot's paws froze, not moving and staying flat on the ground like blocks of ice. He was afraid to speak, afraid to move, afraid to even breathe! Holding his breath, he reluctantly shook his head, thoughts and emotions churning like the waves of the powerful, endless ocean. Suddenly, the sensation of dread seemed to drain from him, and the voice sounded a little tired and distracted when it next spoke.

"There. Now you should be feeling better," it mewed huskily, before answering his original question. "I'm Lioncloud of the Place of No Stars, and I've got you under my wonderful possession."

 _No!_ Ravenfoot felt horror overwhelm him, alongside panic, but then it all drained as well, leaving him calm, mind perceiving to the situation. He merely stood there, unwilling and unable to sway, nor prance, nor breathe, until Lioncloud forced him to. He drew in gasping breaths, realizing how much he welcomed the air, and panted, collapsing in his relief. _Did Lioncloud just save my life?_ He wondered, and he knew the answer was true. The tom who had possessed him had probably just stopped him from dying.

When the enemy tom next spoke, he sounded almost, but not quite, apologetic. "I'm sorry. I have all control. Breathing, thinking, emotions, moving, speaking, it's all under my guidance. Please get used to it! I don't want you to suffer more than you have to."

Anger began to surge over Ravenfoot. _Get used to it? Get used to it?! You possessed me, you evil, hideous creature!_ Then it all stopped, and a new, intruding though entered his mind. _I should listen to Lioncloud. He means the best. Goldentail was the one who made him do this. Stop entering my mind!_ He shot back. _I hate you! I hate you so much!_ Ravenfoot suddenly felt calm again.

"I'm sorry," The voice of Lioncloud whispered. "I truly am."

...

"Ravenfoot, you lead Stonetail, Cloudspots, and Dappleshine along the ShadowClan border. Mark the border and hunt, if you can. We have to stock up for leaf-bare." Reedstorm, the ThunderClan deputy, ordered.

Ravenfoot nodded. "Okay," and beckoned with his tail for his patrol to gather behind him. _No no no no no no no no no no please no!_ "We have no choice," Ravenfoot muttered.

Reedstorm pricked his ears. "What was that, Ravenfoot?"

"Nothing."

...

How many days had passed since he had met Lioncloud? Ravenfoot didn't know, but every single one of them had been miserable, except for the moments when Lioncloud made him feel happy. The black tom sighed internally, hating his possession. Hating the world. Hating everything that Lioncloud had stolen from him. Loving everything he still had. Couldn't his clan mates tell he was diferent? Strange? Wierd? Why did they keep on going as if nothing had happened, when he had been possessed?

 _Feel happy already!_ He thought. Ravenfoot felt a wave of anger. _Stop making me think things!_ And then it was calmed down as if nothing had happened. _Happy days, happy times, warrior names, bird song chimes! Warm sunshine comes in rays, I hope it will come back every day! Stop with the stupid ryhmes, I won't ever feel happy! Yes, you will! No, I won't!_

He clawed at the ground, before Lioncloud made him stop.

Ravenfoot got an idea. He froze, internally holding his breath, internally closing his eyes, internally forcing away everything else. That was the last thing he remembered before everything went black in his mind, and he gave over to Lioncloud for the first and last time.


	6. Feather's

**Possessed:**

 _What? Where am I? Why am I here in this dark, murky forest? What's happening? This-this can't be StarClan! StarClan has to be a better place! But... I was killed! Where else would I go? I'm not a bad cat... am I?_

"You're in the Dark Forest, Littlecloud. The Place of No Stars."

 _I can't believe it! Tell me. Tell me, why did I deserve to go here?_

"Deserve to go here? I never said that. You're journey to StarClan is just being... delayed."

 _But why would that be happening? I should be with family! Let me go!_

"Littlecloud, Littlecloud, Littlecloud..."

 _What? Tell me! I deserve to know._

"You're in the process of being possessed."

 _Okay. Wait- what? Possessed?! By whom? Why? Where will I go after that? What are you doing to me?_

"Possessed, stupid. It's as simple as that. Every time we are powerful enough, we wait for a strong, skilled, popular cat to die so that our strongest warrior can possess them. Today, it's Nightheart. We do it so that we can learn all the secrets of the clans. In their dreams, our chosen cats will relay all they've learned back to us. When you are killed a second time, though, both you and Nightheart will be dead. After this, you'll go back to your clan. Again, all we're doing is having Nightheart possess you."

 _I demand you stop this this instant, or else!_

"Ha, another puny little threat. Or else what?"

 _Or else I will kill myself once I'm back in the clan!_

"Try all day, you can't. Once possessed, Nightheart will completely control you. He will have access to all your knowledge, all your memories, so that no one will ever suspect anything."

 _I'll prove you wrong. One day, one day, I will take back control. One day I will leave freely again, or die trying._

"The process is complete. You'd better get used to this quickly, Littlecloud, and save your poor little heart from breaking one too many times."

...

 _This looks familiar. I'm back in the clearing where the fox killed me. But... does that mean I'm really possessed?_

 _Of course it does, Littlecloud. We Dark Forest cats are never wrong about things like this._

 _Get out of my head, Nightheart!_

 _Sorry, I live here now._

My body stands up shakily and begins to head in the direction of camp. I try my best to stop it, but it's as that cat said. Nightheart controls me now. _Stop it, Nightheart! Stop it! Please!_

 _Whine as pitifully as you'd like, Littlecloud. You can't stop me._

I can feel him began to probe my memories as we walk, going through everything. _Interesting. You have given birth to two large litters of kits, yet you have one son and zero daughters. What happened there?_

 _That's not for you to know!_

I'm ready to cry, if I was even able to. Here I was, controlled by an evil spirit, my mind being read and all my embarrassing secrets being revealed.

 _Ooh, here's a juicy one! You don't actually love your mate. You're only with him because he's the leader of WindClan. Your one kit is ugly, and the other ones from your litters are nothing. I still don't understand, Littlecloud. Why don't you tell me?_

 _No! Never!_

 _Don't make me._

 _I will never tell you!_

Suddenly, the one thing that Littlecloud even still had worked on it's own.

 _I have been a queen twice. The first time, I gave birth to my son and three other stillborn kits. I pretend they are alive, just invisible. My next litter were a single stillborn. I pretended that it was actually twelve more invisible kits. My mate loves me dearly. I have never said a single truth to him. I hate my sister._

 _Why, thank you Littlecloud!_

It seemed like he cackled evilly inside my head.

 _Just stop! Stop it! Leave me alone and let me die peacefully already!_

 _Oh, but the Place of No Stars cannot afford to lose such a valuable tool._

 _Tool? Tool?! You think I'm a tool? I'm a real, living cat, you piece of fox-dung! I have feelings, just like you, and right now they are being seriously hurt!_

 _You expect that to stop me?_

 _Umm... Yeah?_

 _You expect me to have pity on you?_

 _Maybe._

 _You think I'll fall for your stupid tricks?_

 _Totally!_

 _Well you're wrong. Now be quiet._

And with that, her invisible mouth was clamped shut. Nightheart ducked inside the WindClan camp, staggering and collapsing in the middle of the clearing. Cats let out gasps and rushed over, worried, but Harestar was the worse. "Who did this to my love?" He howled angrily. "It was a fox," My voice whines weakly. "It ambushed me." "Death to that fox!" Harestar decided, and the gathering warriors let out yowls of agreement. "Death to that fox!"

The medicine cat, Skydapple, was leaning over her, checking her wounds. "You'll live," The medicine cat mewed grudgingly. "But you'll be stuck in my den for a moon."

 _Not a moon... A moon without learning anything? The Dark Forest would kill me!_

Littlecloud wanted to laugh in excitement, in success, but her jaws were still glued shut. "Please, Skydapple, no! Not a moon! Make it half a moon!" Harestar licked her ears comfortingly. "I'm sorry dear, but Skydapple knows best. You'll stay with her for a moon." And that was when they fell unconscious.

Nightheart and Littlecloud awoke three days later, and she realized she could speak again.

 _What if I work with you, tell you a lot of secrets and stuff during the next moon, and then you kill us? A fair compromise._

 _How much would you tell me?_

 _Every single thing I know_

 _Deal._

 _Promise?_

 _I vow on my mother's grave- I killed her actually, but anyways- that as long as you tell me every single thing you know, I will kill us in a moon._

 _Wow, you aren't very smart._

 _Huh?_

 _You said tell you every single thing I know, not just the stuff you need to know. Also, you can read my mind. I don't have to tell you._

 _Fox-dung! Mouse-brain, Fish-breath, Road-kill! I can't believe it! I let you free yourself and stop me._

 _I told you. I vowed I would take control. And now I've done it. Yow owe me._

 _..._

 _It's been a moon, Nightheart. It's time for us to die._

Nightheart stands up. It's the middle of the night, the time we planned for us to jump off the great cliff that lined the edge of the moor. Both of us, being spirits already, will be dead forever, but it's better then being possessed. Possessed. I hate that word. If I could, I would flinch every time I hear it.

Stalking out of the den and into the WindClan camp, we can see Rabbitwing sitting guard.

 _To the right. Now! I know Rabbitwing-_

 _And so do I. After you told me every single thing you knew about him._

 _Well, yeah._

We make it out safely and break into a run, heading blindly in the direction. We both know that even if I want to die and Nightheart has to keep his promise, it'll be really hard for us to actually go over the cliff. I blame survival instincts. And then it happens. Our feet no longer touch the ground, and we're falling, falling, falling towards our second death.

...

"Welcome, Littlecloud."

"Welcome to where?" I'm speaking, I realize, as my- yes, _my-_ mouth moves.

"Welcome to the Third World, where spirits who die the most noble death go. Here, you will live in paradise, watching over StarClan and the Clans. You will have utmost power- telekinesis, elemental powers, reading the future, and more. Here, life is like a dream. You will never fade, unless if your heart turns bad."

"What if I'm done?"

"Done with what?"

"What if I'm done living? What if I want to die here, too?"

"No cat wants to die in the Third World! No one ever has!"

"Yeah, but I do." Before I can hear anything else, I bring up my claws and slash them cross my throat. I'm tired of life. I'm ready to go past StarClan, past the Third World. I ready to become nothing, to no longer think, to no longer feel, to no longer have a body of anything.

...

"Welcome, Littlecloud."

"What? I killed myself?"

"Exactly. This is the World of Depression, where spirits go when they commit suicide."

"Can I die here?"

"Nope! But we all fade over a few million years, once we've had plenty of time to feel bad for ourselves."

"Great StarClan, this is stupid!" I curse, flattening my ears.

"Hi, Littlecloud," A voice mews. An awfully familiar voice, at that. I turn around.

"Hi, Nightheart."

You know? I can work with this, waiting for a while with Nightheart. Though we hated each other at first, we've shared too much to continue it. Nightheart's my friend now, the cat who I truly care for. I guess being possessed worked out in the end.


End file.
